Anointing the Sick

Father Tom shows how this sacrament is based on the healing ministry of Jesus, which the Church has continued in his name throughout its history. He briefly covers the history of this sacrament and its renewal following the Second Vatican Council. He examines three areas in which our understanding of this sacrament has grown: (1) all sacraments are community celebrations, (2) the holistic unity of body, soul, and spirit, and (3) the sacraments are celebrations of faith.

Father Tom addresses what a communal celebration of this sacrament may look like as well as how this sacrament is administered in a hospital or home. Finally, he speaks about what gets healed, concluding with “The sacrament of anointing does not remove the mystery of human suffering. Yet its celebration gives us a window into the mystery of a loving God. Our loving God raises up the crucified Son to display his victorious wounds, sitting triumphant at the Father’s right hand.”

Updated in 2016.